Housing, Energy, Environment & Transportation

I was chief sponsor of several bills to retain affordable housing and promote energy efficient transportation, and and helped advocate for other housing, environment, energy, and transportation bills as a Sponsor. I also started a program so that residents and business owners can borrow devices from their local library to monitor energy use of their appliances and electronic equipment like printers, TV's, and refrigerators.

Helping people remain in their homes (HB 2383, 2009-10): Manufactured and mobile home park residents often own their homes, but not the land the home sits on; and increasingly, “mobile homes” aren’t really that mobile. This can put residents in the precarious position of potentially losing their homes, and having to move elsewhere, if the owner of the land that comprises the park wishes to sell that property. To help mitigate this situation, this new law will require that a manufactured or mobile home park residents’ association or co-op will have the right of first refusal to make an offer when the landowner sells the park. Passed. HB 3247 (2007-08): Gives tenants' association, facility purchase association or tenants' association supported nonprofit organization 14-day right of first refusal for offer or agreement by landlord to sell facility.

Retain Rail Public Right of Way. HB 2370 (2011-12) ensures Oregon Department of Transportation is notified when publicly owned land near rail right of way is for sale. Passed.

Rail Advisory Council. HB 2860 (2011-12) was to establish a rail advisory council for passenger and freight rail and to review the feasibility of bi-state passenger rail authority with Oregon and Washington. Although this did not pass, Governor Kitzhaber subsequently created the Governor’s Passenger Rail Advisory committee (and appointed me as a member).

Energy efficient cars for new times (HB 3253, 2009-10): We have companies in Oregon right now working on designing and building electric vehicles, and the parts that go with them. These businesses employ skilled workers with good-paying jobs, and produce a product that emits 5 times less CO2 than the average combustion-engine vehicle. Oregonians have already shown an interest in vehicles with reduced emissions and better fuel economy. By expanding the tax credit we already offer for the purchase of a hybrid-electric car to include electric vehicles, we can give Oregon consumers a nudge toward the next option in alternative, fuel-efficient transportation. This concept was ultimately passed as HB 2078.

Other bills that I have sponsored

HB 3307 A: Directs State Department of Agriculture to consult with Department of Education for purpose of helping Department of Education develop Farm-to-School program.

HJM 12 (2007-2008): Urges Congress to allow Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to enter into 15-year contracts for biomass removal from federal forests.

HJM 28 (2011-12) Urges United States Department of Energy to remove Hanford Nuclear Reservation from list of candidate sites for national permanent storage of radioactive waste. PASSED.

Tenants Rights. HB 3073 (2011-12) would have given tenants associations, such as of manufactured home parks or marinas, more time to make an offer when the property they occupy is listed for sale.

HB 4140 (2011-12) Requires beneficiary or beneficiary’s agent under residential trust deed to send notice of mediation and enter into mediation with grantor for purpose of agreeing to foreclosure avoidance measure.